Frommer's Seville, Granada & the Best of Andalusia

387 Pages·2005·6.518 MB·English

by  Darwin Porter, Danforth Prince

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Seville, Granada
& the Best of
Andalusia
1st Edition
by Darwin Porter & Danforth Prince
Here’s what the critics say about Frommer’s:
“Amazingly easy to use.Very portable,very complete.”
—Booklist
“Detailed,accurate,and easy-to-read information for all price ranges.”
—Glamour Magazine
“Hotel information is close to encyclopedic.”
—Des Moines Sunday Register
“Frommer’s Guides have a way of giving you a real feel for a place.”
—Knight Ridder Newspapers
01_57793x ffirs.qxd 3/30/05 11:53 PM Page i
01_57793x ffirs.qxd 3/30/05 11:53 PM Page i
Seville, Granada
& the Best of
Andalusia
1st Edition
by Darwin Porter & Danforth Prince
Here’s what the critics say about Frommer’s:
“Amazingly easy to use.Very portable,very complete.”
—Booklist
“Detailed,accurate,and easy-to-read information for all price ranges.”
—Glamour Magazine
“Hotel information is close to encyclopedic.”
—Des Moines Sunday Register
“Frommer’s Guides have a way of giving you a real feel for a place.”
—Knight Ridder Newspapers
01_57793x ffirs.qxd 3/30/05 11:53 PM Page ii
About the Authors
As a team of veteran travel writers, Darwin Porterand Danforth Princehave pro-
duced numerous titles for Frommers, including bestselling guides to Italy, France,
the Caribbean, England, and Germany. Porter, a former bureau chief of The Miami
Herald,is also a Hollywood biographer; his most recent releases are Katharine the
Great,a close-up of the private life of the late Katharine Hepburn, and Howard
Hughes: Hell’s Angel.Prince was formerly employed by the Paris bureau of the New
York Times,and today is president of Blood Moon Productions and other media-
related firms.
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ISBN-13: 978-0-7645-7793-2
ISBN-10: 0-7645-7793-X
Editor: Margot Weiss
Production Editor: Suzanna R. Thompson
Cartographer: Nick Trotter
Photo Editor: Richard Fox
Production by Wiley Indianapolis Composition Services
Front cover photo: Arched window at the Alhambra
Back cover photo: Women in costume traveling by scooter to Seville’s Feria de Abril
For information on our other products and services or to obtain technical support,
please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 800/762-2974,
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Contents
List of Maps vi
1 The Best of Seville,Granada & Andalusia 1
1 The Most Unforgettable Travel 5 The Best Beaches . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 6 The Most Charming Towns . . . . .7
2 The Best Luxury Hotels . . . . . . . .2 7 The Best Architecture . . . . . . . . .8
3 The Best Paradors . . . . . . . . . . .4 8 The Best Gifts & Souvenirs . . . . .9
4 The Best Dining Experiences . . . .5
A Traveler’s Guide to Southern Spain’s Art
2
& Architecture 11
1 Art 101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 2 Architecture 101 . . . . . . . . . . .14
3 Planning Your Trip to Southern Spain 20
1 The Regions in Brief . . . . . . . . .20 Frommers.com: The Complete
2 Visitor Information & Entry Travel Resource . . . . . . . . . . . .39
Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 10 The 21st-Century Traveler . . . . .39
3 Entry Requirements & 11 Getting There . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41
Customs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 12 Packages for the Independent
4 Money . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Traveler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
The Euro, the U.S. Dollar, 13 Escorted General-Interest
the British Pound& Tours . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
the Canadian Dollar . . . . . . . . .27 14 Special-Interest Trips . . . . . . . . .48
5 When to Go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29
15 Getting Around . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Calendar of Events . . . . . . . . . .30 Riding the Rails in Style . . . . . .54
6 Travel Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . .32 16 Tips on Accommodations . . . . .55
7 Health & Safety . . . . . . . . . . . .33 17 Recommended Books . . . . . . . .56
8 Specialized Travel Resources . . .35 Fast Facts: Spain . . . . . . . . . . .57
9 Planning Your Trip Online . . . . .37
4 Settling into Seville 62
1 Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 3 Where to Stay . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
The Neighborhoods in Brief . . . .64 Family-Friendly Hotels . . . . . . . .71
2 Getting Around . . . . . . . . . . . .64 4 Where to Dine . . . . . . . . . . . . .80
Fast Facts: Seville . . . . . . . . . . .66
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iv CONTENTS
5 What to See & Do in Seville 91
1 Sightseeing Suggestions for the 3 Especially for Kids . . . . . . . . . .103
First-Timer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 4 Organized Tours . . . . . . . . . . .104
2 Seeing the Sights . . . . . . . . . . .92 5 Staying Active . . . . . . . . . . . .105
Discovering Murillo: The Great 6 Spectator Sports . . . . . . . . . . .105
Painter of Sentiment . . . . . . . . .95
7 Shopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106
Hanging with Carmen in
8 Seville After Dark . . . . . . . . . .112
Old Seville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98
9 Side Trips from Seville . . . . . . .118
Walking Tour: The Old City . . . .99
6 Córdoba 122
1 Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . .123 A Stately Pleasure Dome:
Fast Facts: Córdoba . . . . . . . .125 The Moorish Versailles . . . . . .143
2 Where to Stay . . . . . . . . . . . .126 5 Shopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .144
3 Where to Dine . . . . . . . . . . . .133 6 Córdoba After Dark . . . . . . . .146
4 Seeing the Sights . . . . . . . . . .138 7 On the Way to Granada:
Jaén,Baeza & Ubeda . . . . . . .148
7 Granada 165
1 Orientation . . . . . . . . . . . . . .166 5 Exploring Granada . . . . . . . . .188
2 Getting Around . . . . . . . . . . .167 The Alhambra: Saving Time
Fast Facts: Granada . . . . . . . .168 & Hassles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .195
3 Where to Stay . . . . . . . . . . . .169 6 Shopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .200
Royal Burials, Royal Ironies . . .174 Shopping for Spanish Guitars . . .201
Cave Living near the 7 Granada After Dark . . . . . . . .202
Alhambra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .177 The Gypsy Caves of
4 Where to Dine . . . . . . . . . . . .179 Sacromonte . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204
Tea, Chocolate-Dipped 8 Side Trips from Granada . . . . .207
Doughnuts & More . . . . . . . . .183
8 Ronda & the Pueblos Blancos/Sherry Triangle 214
1 Ronda . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .214 4 A Driving Tour of the Pueblos
Fast Facts: Ronda . . . . . . . . . .216 Blancos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .233
Prehistoric Cave Paintings . . . .219 5 Jerez de la Frontera . . . . . . . .245
2 Mijas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .226 6 El Puerto de Santa María . . . .254
3 Antequera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .229 7 Sanlúcar del Barrameda . . . . .257
Fast Facts:Antequera . . . . . . .230
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CONTENTS v
9 Cádiz & the Costa de la Luz 260
1 Cádiz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .260 2 Tarifa & Costa de la Luz . . . . .278
Fast Facts: Cádiz . . . . . . . . . .263 3 Huelva . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .283
A Working-Class Restaurant 4 Side Trips from Huelva . . . . . .289
Row in Old Cádiz . . . . . . . . . .276
10 The Costa del Sol 294
1 Algeciras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .294 4 Puerto Banús . . . . . . . . . . . . .312
Teeing Off: A Golden Triangle 5 Marbella . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .314
of Golf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .297 A Marbella Tasca Crawl . . . . .326
Beaches: The Good, the Bad 6 Fuengirola & Los Boliches . . . .327
& the Nude . . . . . . . . . . . . . .298
Highway of Death . . . . . . . . .328
2 Gibraltar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .299
The Costa: An Ode to
Cultural Conflicts in a British Lost Virginity . . . . . . . . . . . . .331
Colony . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .302
7 Torremolinos . . . . . . . . . . . . .332
Fast Facts: Gibraltar . . . . . . . .302
8 Málaga . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .342
3 Estepona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .308
9 Nerja . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .351
Appendix:Southern Spain in Depth 356
History 101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .356 Dateline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .356
Index 361
General Index . . . . . . . . . . . . .361 Restaurant Index . . . . . . . . . . .371
Accommodations Index . . . . . .368
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List of Maps
Andalusia 3 Side Trips from Granada 209
Seville Accommodations 68 Ronda 215
Seville Dining 82 Driving Tour: The Pueblos
Seville Attractions 93 Blancos 235
Walking Tour: The Old City 101 Jerez de la Frontera 247
Seville Environs 119 Cádiz 261
Córdoba 128 Playa Victoria 263
Jaén 149 Huelva 285
Ubeda 159 The Costa del Sol 295
Granada Accommodations Gibraltar 301
& Dining 170 Marbella 315
Granada Attractions 190 Torremolinos 333
The Alhambra 193 Málaga 343
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An Invitation to the Reader
In researching this book, we discovered many wonderful places—hotels, restaurants,
shops, and more. We’re sure you’ll find others. Please tell us about them, so we can share
the information with your fellow travelers in upcoming editions. If you were disappointed
with a recommendation, we’d love to know that, too. Please write to:
Frommer’s Seville, Granada & the Best of Andalusia, 1st Edition
Wiley Publishing, Inc. • 111 River St. • Hoboken, NJ 07030
An Additional Note
Please be advised that travel information is subject to change at any time—and this is
especially true of prices. We therefore suggest that you write or call ahead for confirma-
tion when making your travel plans. The authors, editors, and publisher cannot be held
responsible for the experiences of readers while traveling. Your safety is important to us,
however, so we encourage you to stay alert and be aware of your surroundings. Keep a
close eye on cameras, purses, and wallets, all favorite targets of thieves and pickpockets.
Other Great Guides for Your Trip:
Frommer’s Spain
Frommer’s Barcelona, Madrid & Seville
Frommer’s Spain’s Best-Loved Driving Tours
Frommer’s Europe
Frommer’s Road Atlas Europe
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Frommer’s Star Ratings,Icons & Abbreviations
Every hotel, restaurant, and attraction listing in this guide has been ranked for quality,
value, service, amenities, and special features using a star-rating system.In country, state,
and regional guides, we also rate towns and regions to help you narrow down your choices
and budget your time accordingly. Hotels and restaurants are rated on a scale of zero (rec-
ommended) to three stars (exceptional). Attractions, shopping, nightlife, towns, and
regions are rated according to the following scale: zero stars (recommended), one star
(highly recommended), two stars (very highly recommended), and three stars (must-see).
In addition to the star-rating system, we also use seven feature iconsthat point you
to the great deals, in-the-know advice and unique experiences that separate travelers from
tourists. Throughout the book, look for:
Finds Special finds—those places only insiders know about
Fun Fact Fun facts—details that make travelers more informed and their trips
more fun
Kids Best bets for kids, and advice for the whole family
Moments Special moments—those experiences that memories are made of
Overrated Places or experiences not worth your time or money
Tips Insider tips—great ways to save time and money
Value Great values—where to get the best deals
The following abbreviationsare used forcredit cards:
AE American Express DISC Discover V Visa
DC Diners Club MC MasterCard
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